Stolen Moments
by hochopeto
Summary: One shots between characters in Aveyard's Red Queen Series. Mare and Cal. Disclaimer: I do not own any characters within the series's plot
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everybody! I have recently read King's Cage. Along with the previous books in the Red Queen series. And they are absolutely phenomenal!**

 **Below is a two-part one shot between Mare and Cal, set sometime during the plot of King's Cage and takes place in Piedmont, after Mare is rescued from the palace, before they head to war. In short, an assassination attempt on Mare, with some MarexCal fluff too. Hope you all enjoy**

Mare POV

I had stayed the night at my family's place, still relishing the joy of sleeping with Gisa in the same room. As annoying as her snores were, I couldn't help but smile.

Besides, as long as she kept the nightmares out of my head, I was fine with whoever I slept with at night. Weird as that might sound.

The sunlight creeps into my bedroom at dawn, and I swung out of bed. I pulled my hair up and changed into a simple clothes: tee, shorts, flat shoes comfortable to run in.

Even though the sun was barely up, I felt the scorching summer heat the instant my feet left the house. Cal sat at my doorstep, shirtless, rubbing his face in fatigue. I smirked at the sight, but felt my eyes staring at his shoulders, how even the subtlest of muscles pulled as he engaged in a simple action

"I know you're staring." His voice is smug too, but heavy with fatigue. He was not a morning person.

"I'm noting how tired you look." I refuse to indulge him and admit of my libido.

He stands up, pushing his arms up in a morning stretch, I watch his biceps intently flex, for the split second, as he drops his arms, as if playing me around now too.

He then turns. "Arent you coming?" His crooked grin appears when I meet his eyes

I walked down the stairs, noting his smoky stench.

"Did you sleep in a coal mine again?" I smiled, wrinkling my nose

He frowned playfully, and his hands grabbed my waist, pulling me in.

"I dunno. You smell like fried breakfast." He pretends to gag. I knew he loved my scent, just as I loved his. We would just never admit it.

I didn't even have breakfast yet. I'd throw up a mile into our jog if I did. But it was just his attempt to counter my insult. His way with words was definitely weaker than his brother, but I still appreciated the effort, and my heart skipped once seeing the warmth in his bronze, red-gold eyes

"Cal. It's literally 80 degrees outside. And you're a furnace!" I felt my hands push on his chest. He flexed, enduring no escape, eyes cool. As if intentional, I hear his flamemaker bracelets click and his skin heat up an additional five degrees. Beads of sweat formed along the brim of my forehead, as I laughed torturously. I sent tiny sparks through him from my fingers, and he tenses. Almost as if were playing a miniature game of who could tolerate the other longer.

"Stop it." I laughed and whined simultaneously, feeling sweat form all over my body. "I just showered recently too."

I feel his abs vibrate a bit in chortle. He leaned his head down, and dropped the usual morning kiss. I felt his hands loosen and cup my cheeks for a few seconds before releasing. His touch was cooler now. Still warm, but definitely a more tolerable temperature.

He pulls away to my dismay, and we start the morning jog.

LINEBREAK

Ten grueling miles later, Cal has broken sweat, and I'm drenched. My legs are like noodles, and other muscles are still stiff from waking up only a couple hours ago. I'm nearly drenched from the hot summer heat, which doesn't seem to bother him.

We walk towards breakfast, joking most of the time. My hand intertwined his hand, which dangled on my shoulder. His arm was wrapped around my shoulder, half in affection, half in playfulness.

I knew how he would be a distraction to my motivation, and possibly an obstruction preventing me from killing Maven, but I indulge it anyway.

"Your arm feels worse than that python Evangeline's mother wore around her neck." I complain.

"Is that your way of telling me I'm muscular?" He winked

"I'm complaining about the heat. _Your_ heat" I joke

And before he could reply, I add, "And no, I'm not confessing that I think your hot either." I flush, realizing the awkwardness of my words. Six months of silence had taken its toll not only on my body, but also on my conversational skills

"Liar." He catches the red that rises in my cheeks, tightening his possessive hold on me. If it weren't for his temperature, I'd find it quite consoling

I frown, and my other hand rose two fingers, zapping his side.

He twitches a bit in discomfort, but takes the tiny blow. "Hey." He now frowned.

"Hmm." I try to feign ignorance

He shakes his head. "I'm used to it by now." He replies with a princely tone.

I giggle like a child, letting him distract me. I raise my hand subtlety again, but he notes it, spinning aside, and his calloused hand envelopes my fingers

I send my minimal sparks through his palm anyway, but he also has a dimly lit candle flame generated at his palm. The heat isn't enough to burn me, but causes me equal discomfort.

"Two can play at your game." He chuckled, and kissed my temple roughly, before we continue walking

"We are so destructive." I admit, losing myself in his charisma. "Wonder what we would do if we weren't trained for war. If none of this was real." I murmur, leaning my head into his shoulder.

I knew it wasn't true. The past six months were proof that this conflict was very much real. But it doesn't hurt to dream, especially now. The blazing summer heat, my temptation of happiness, losing myself in this misplaced prince who had utterly captured my heart.

"We could start a food joint here." He chortles, breaking my thoughts

I pull away. "I can't cook to save my life." I give him a surprised look. "In case you haven't tried my mother's cooking, it runs in the family."

"Exactly." He says with a soft smile. "Burned Fries." He winks

I roll my eyes, stopping in my tracks. "How many horrid puns do you know?" I laugh

LINEBREAK

I had missed the lighthearted conversations, distractions, and life here in the guard. Everything here seemed, no, was better than life at the palace

Cal sits next to me at breakfast, across from Farley, Darmian, and a few other Newbloods I didn't recognize. Some other silvers walk down the food aisles too. I'm guessing those who surrendered at Corvium. I guess the Colonel and Farley knew that any rash act, and the newbloods and remainder of the guard would put them down anyway. There wasn't a point in imprisoning them.

The newbloods don't speak to me, or more realistically, Cal. It doesn't seem to bother him though.

Gisa and Kilorn join us.

"How was your jog?" Kilorn asks us.

"Good." Cal spoke

"Hot." I said simultaneously. Gisa raises a brow at us. I rolled my eyes a bit, and Cal's hand finds my thigh.

His touch is warm, and soothing now. Unlike earlier.

"You look like a monsoon just drenched you Mare." Kilorn chuckled and Gisa flushes next to him. I shook my head, and kicked him under the table

"And I wonder whose fault that is." I look sideways and Cal shrugs. He on the other hand barely broke a sweat, and the summer blaze had absolutely no effect on him.

He opens his outs to speak, but is stopped by the popping of a pistol. Screaming follows, and Cal instinctively ducks. Kilorn pulled Gisa down. I tried to follow, but found all my nerves taut. The all too familiar surge of pain pours hits my chest, and my vision immediately goes fuzzy. Unlike the heavy sensation of silence that weighed down back at the palace in Archeon, this pain rips through me, but I don't find the voice to scream. A second pang in my chest, and I feel more liquid rushing out of me, numbing out the sensation.

I only realize that I've been hit after tasting metallic blood in my mouth, and air writhes within me to escape out of my nose, mouth, anywhere

"MARE!" A piercing voice drowned through all the screams from around me. Newborns sprint uncontrolled.

Increased figures appear around me. Figures I don't exactly make out anymore.

My last physical vision is down, and I see a growing scarlet, a vivacious red, soaking my chest.

And right before all blackens, I see Maven. My eyelids flutter, everything around me slows His ice blue eyes, and cold blue flames engulfing me into another blood curdling nightmare.

 _To be continued_

 **Apologies for the cliff hanger, but I will try to upload the second half as soon as possible. In the meantime, feel free to leave some reviews, feedback, ideas for other one shots etc.**


	2. Chapter 2

Cal POV

After the gunshots went off, and screaming followed, I got the sickening feeling of déjà vu back to the night at summerton, when Mare was working behind my back. Once again, my first instinct is to survive and make sure she's alright.

Except this time, she was the target.

I see the scarlet blood soak her white tee, and react, as her body falls backward. My survival instinct goes out the window as I jump up barely in time so my hand catches her head from smashing against the floor. The other picks up the rest of her body to set her onto the floor.

"Mare?" I yelled, as her eyes fluttered blankly, as if not recognizing me. Weak sparks fly out of her fingers, as if burning our. I look around, eyes fixating on the assassin, whose slight flick of wrist pocketed his pistol. His back was turning, and he proceeded to blend in with the screaming reds around him.

Foolish man. Foolish reds. None of the newbloods around apprehended him. None of them had reacted. It seemed that without leadership command, everyone in this hall ran rampant, like chickens with their heads cut off.

I sensed Kilorn and Gisa reaching her body, and hide my emotions, when Gisa's worried cries prick at my ears.

"Mare, stay with me!" Kilorn yells, before reacting more appropriately. "Healers!"

"Kilorn. Gisa." I spoke lowly. "Stay with her. I got eyes on him."

I then swung over the long bench tables, headed for the door.

"You need an extra hand?" A voice creeped up behind me, similar to other silencing Arvens who snuck up on me unintentionally during my childhood.

"No." I snapped at Cameron.

I jogged out of the chaos in the dining hall, and people weave to clear out of my way. Smart of them. I was already peeved that so few of them made an effort to stop him.

Once I reached the exit, my eye caught sight of the footprints veering left on the dirt. Based on how deep and heavy they were, I immediately guessed the assailant was strongarm or stoneskin. Those two were never light on their feet. I sprinted toward them, head on a swivel until I reached the edge of the dining hall wall. The silver stepped out, firing his gun at me now, but I reacted this time, instantaneously generating a shield of fire with crossed arms blocking my face. I control the bullet after it's aflame, and send it flying back towards him, like a mini fireball. The smoke generated sets off the smoke alarm inside, but I shrug it off.

I clear out of the flame and see that my opponent has summoned a stone shield. The bullet bounced off his rocks like a pebble.

So he is a stoneskin. Excellent. Alone, those are among the easiest Silvers for me to defeat. I just had to melt the shield, and blast my way through the pores and cracks of the infrastructure. Since my temper is extremely and justifiably high, I'm guessing it shouldn't take more than five fireballs.

Once I meet his hard, lifeless eyes. I light both hands into orange red flames, staring him down. He doesn't cower, but I note a slight tensed muscle, and a weight shift to his heels.

He knows that I have the advantage. Good.

"Tiberius Calore the Seventh." He challenged. "I was wondering when I'd be in your presence again."

I don't reply.

"I shot her in the heart, you know." He smirked through his rocky mouth. "Twice for good luck." His rocky teeth glint into a wicked smile.

As I take his words in, the tips of my flames begin burning blue, and my blood bubbles.

Before I can strike, however, he drops to his knees alongside a heap of gravel, heavy with pain. I don't extinguish my burn, and spot Cameron, staring him down the other wall. I had distracted him so she could easily weasel into my fight, much to my disdain. The gratitude I should've had for her was instantly replaced by utter annoyance, and bruised pride.

She holds silent stone manacles and cuffs him, preventing his transformation.

I glower at her. "What do you think you're doing?" I snapped but she doesn't cower.

"Helping you." She replied unwavering. "Colonel wants him for interrogation, so I took the back exit before you could burn the hall down. Seems I arrived just in time" she spoke with a smug tone.

She then turned toward the stoneskin. "You missed old fart." She kicks him over like a puppy, then looks up at me. "The healers are with her."

I cross my arms, letting the fire lick at my upper body.

Cameron continues "Next time you try to kill someone, you should probably-"

"There won't be a next time." I interrupt, turning toward her. "Let me handle the interrogation."

She looks at me with narrow eyes. "Farley sent me to help."

"And trust me when I say," I spoke slow. "that staying out of my way would be doing all of us a favor." My annoyance only made my flames burn stronger.

We meet eyes, and something must've clicked because she tosses over the manacles key the next second. I catch it with an extinguished hand, not wanting to melt the metal.

I walked past her, hand snatching the victim's collar, and dragged him easily towards open field, where nobody would disturb us.

LINEBREAK

I walked the assassin out to a dead plain, so my rage would not burn any possible resources, particularly wood. One hand wave could burn the surrounding weeds and dead grass to nothingness.

"You'll get nothing out of me." The silver spat as I pushed him down. I was initially dragging him, but my hands singed his shirt within the first few seconds, and he was reflexive enough to pull away and walk willingly, before I could barbecue his flesh.

The sparks on my flamemaker bracelets danced precariously. And I balled a fist.

"Really?" I turned in a blink, my fist stopping a centimeter from his eye. "Because all you have to give me aside from intel, is physical suffering." I spoke menacingly.

With one deep breath, I allow the fire to surge through my fingertips, such that a concentrated, flame burned out it the end of my fist. It was like the ignition flame out of a rocket or air jet, except my temper manipulated the flame such that it was entirely blue. It massaged my skin, but the warmth caused beads of sweat to perspire on this silver's face. He flinched uncomfortably.

At that moment, I disregarded all my inner turmoils regarding killing or harming my own kin. He crossed a line. So shall I.

"You surrendered your honor to me." I sneered, recognizing his face from Corvium. "I put my ass on the line to save you from imprisonment, and this is how you repay me?"

Silence

"WHY?" I snarled. Opening my fist. My entire hand was bright blue, and hissing with destruction I saw his cheeks blistering, even though I hadn't actually attacked yet.

The victim said nothing.

I changed my tone to a low whisper. "The longer you wait, the slower you'll burn."

"You'll kill me anyway." He spat, leaving me at a temporary loss of words.

"Depending on your behavior, I'll contemplate between a fast or slow death." You could hear the sickening crackle of flames in my voice, and I knew my body temperature was rising. "You confess your motivations, and I

promise you, it will be painless."

I tried to sell the lie, as best to my ability. But he nearly killed Mare. A painless death would be too kind, for my cruel and vengeful liking.

"It's more than you deserve." I add, my voice cold as ice.

Silence

"Long live the king." He finally murmurs. And now both of my hands opened up into flame. I backed away temporarily, letting them lick up to my elbows, to mellow out.

Of course.

"Maven put you up for this?" I spoke astoundingly and bitterly. "He would have your head for your actions." I replied firm

"You obviously haven't watched any of his latest broadcasts." The stoneskin smiled wickedly. "He may have kept her alive all these months, but he'd rather see her _dead_ than working with his brother." He spat at me.

More silence. It takes everything in me to contain my abilities.

"And now your promise." The stoneskin snapped.

I pause, shaking in rage, and then take the key to unlock his manacles. I then tossed it and the chains aside.

"What's-." He spoke surprised.

"You prefer to keep wearing them?" I grunt, controlling my flames so they don't betray me.

Then, in a blink, I manipulated my flames into a blue whip (which I noted while watching the electricons train), and sent a scorching lash his way. I called on more fire to create a wall of flame to surround us, so he could not escape.

He is slow to react, foolish to think I would actually have mercy. The lash strikes him, and I see the flesh on his back cook. He responds now, calling forth his ability and forming a rocky, but now weakened shield to protect himself. It is flawed, because I had taken away many of the resources he could manipulate.

"You promised no pain, you asshole." He turned to face me and spoke through grinding teeth.

I almost laughed menacingly. "This is painless... For me."

He hides behind his shield, but I see his eyes clearly now. They were not fearless anymore. In fact they were tormented by the cadaverous heat and smothering smoke I had created.

My opponent throws a slow, agonized punch, which I easily dodge. This was so much easier than fighting Mare. Her sparks still hit me sometimes even when I think I've successfully countered her attack.

She better be okay.

I fuel my attack with my rage, conjuring up a fireball to punch him in his chest, which pushes him backward . The flames cling onto his rocky shield, turning red orange instantly after they left my fingers. He backs away into the fire ring, which scorches his feet within seconds. He collapses forward, and I know his shield is breaking as I closed on my prey.

He throws another slow punch, and I catch it by the wrist, holding on tight until my grip melted his rock red, using his shield against him. I use my other hand, aiming a cutting diagonal slash from his left thigh to his right shoulder.

The victim yells in agony, and I know that I've completely dismantled him, as the rest of his gravel shielding crumbles forward.

He drops to his knees in exposed skin, too pained to move, and simmered everywhere. The gravel and rock used to compose his shield spark and dwindle to nothingness, in my ring of destruction.

I circle him as he throws his hands up in surrender. I had burned parts of the flesh on his back to the spine, and he bled and blistered horribly, much to my satisfaction rather than sympathy. He chokes on the smoke around, but I breath my work in gloriously.

Flames trickle up to my elbow; and I generate more in my hand, palm up. I was still furious, waiting him to utter final words of surrender, or remorse.

He doesn't. So I hold him upright by the shoulder, glowering in his eyes before I ended it. "You forget that Maven's words got you in this mess, but my fire, will always burn hotter."

I hear my flamemaker bracelets crackle, feeling power surge through my body as I shoot an inferno into his eye with my hand, hearing it crackle beneath his blood-curdling screams.

Simultaneously, I force his mouth open, and pour more fumes and flame down it, incinerating his insides from throat down to intestines. His screams quell, and his body writhed violently, as I suffocated him.

When I knew he was dead, I stepped out of my ring, extinguishing the rest in a simple wave. The smoke clears, and all that remained were metallic speckles of blood, surrounding a tiny blackened pile of rubble. Any spectator walking by might even mistake it as an aftermath of a bonfire.

The sight of my work quells my temper, and I exhale a warm breath under the summer heat. Then with a swift turn, I sprinted back towards the hospital wing.

LINEBREAK

I slammed my hands on the front desk at the hospital. "Where is she?" I demanded, my face flushed with worry, I'm sure.

"Third floor. Room 310." The woman answered nervously, and I noted the smoke dancing out in between my fingers as they slightly burn the desk.

Without turning back, I sprinted towards the stairs with ease, ignoring thee fearful judgmental looks passing by.

I ran past her siblings and parents looking frantically to the room numbers. 308, 309, 310.

As I reached for the door, Farley's arm extended outward, stopping me.

My worry combined with my anger had set me on edge, and I command monotonously "Step aside, now."

Not a threat, but not kind either. I eye Cameron out of my peripheral, and quell my emotion with previous years of royal training.

"Healers Reese and Skonos are in there right now." Farley explained. "The bullets missed her heart by inches, and crushed her ribs and lungs instead."

"Is she alive?" I demanded.

Farley nods, not cowering despite my towering height and blazing visage. "Yes. But they are still treating her."

I take her hand and remove it, reaching for the door handle. She stops me once more and I curl my lips in exasperation.

"What of the silver?" She whispered firmly.

"Dead." I spoke bluntly

"Wow." Cameron chimes now to further amplify my annoyance. "So you had it in you after all."

"Any intel on his motives?" Farley pressed a halting hand on my chest, but immediately drew it backward.

"Nothing we don't already know." I gritted my teeth, and then swung her arm aside easily. I turned the door handle and walked in.

Seeing Mare alive immediately cooled me down. I rushed to sit next to her, on the other side of the healers.

I take her hand in mine, warming it the slightest. I was shocked at how cold she was, but then again, she was always freezing in my opinion.

I had mastered my warmth which conformed to her comfort temperature zone, and seeing her smile, and her chest deflate a bit in relaxation brought the smallest smile to my face.

"Hi." She wheezed a bit, and I refrained her from talking more. I brought her stiff hand to my lips, kissing the back, ignoring it's coarseness.

"How are you?" I asked softly.

"I've been better, and worse." She spoke. "Did you get him?"

"What do you think?" I murmured, an eyebrow raised.

"Aww." She pouts. "I really wanted some revenge to myself."

I smile seeing she hasn't lost her spunk.

"Well if it makes you feel better, I turned his insides to ash." I muttered.

"Electricity is still better." She competes with me, and I feel a weak zap from her fingertip. I shake my head, smiling helplessly.

Reese flinches in fear out of my peripheral.

"Let's give them some time." Sara spoke up, leading him out. I dipped my head at her, approvingly and gratefully.

"Rumors of your cruelty will spread." Mare whispers, face unreadable.

"That's out of my hands." I reply. "It's done now he's dead."

She sighed, and I pressed a kiss atop her forehead.

The window was open, allowing fresh air in. I'm guessing it helped facilitate her breathing after her lung injury. But an intense breeze blew in out of nowhere, blowing her blankets upward. She shuddered reactively.

"Cold?" I asked softly.

"No." Mare shivered and I restrain from rolling my eyes at her feigned response.

"Scoot over." I tell her and gently nudged her before she could even reply.

I hopped on the hospital bed, and pulled her into me, careful to avoid her fresh wounds. Her quivering breaths quickly settled down, arousing a surge of accomplishment through my veins. We were accustomed to sharing a small bed, and her touch sends light jolts of vivacious energy through my heart.

"I'm glad you're alright." She whispered, reeking of hospital, but I ignored the scent. I probably smelt like smoke and coal.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I murmur.

"Because it probably wasn't easy. Punishing your own blood." She snuggles, eyes closed, with a hand on my chest. "Thank you."

I see her mouth release a yawn, sinking into a gentle nap.

I smiled, and leaned my head against hers too. My hand wrapped around her back, stroking up and down to make sure my warmth spread through her as uniformly as possible.

I close my eyes too, not realizing how tired I was, and found myself dozing off with her.

 **Read and review. I'm open to other ideas too, and I hope you enjoyed it!**


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